*98 CYPEKACE^. (sedge FAMILY.) 



* Achenium obscurely triangular, many-ribbed on the sides. 



14. E. acicillaris, K. Brown. Culms finely capillary (2' -8' long), 

 more or less 4-angular ; spike 3 - 9-flowered ; scales ovate-oblong, rather obtuse 

 (greenish with purple sides) ; achenium obovate-oblong, tumid, with 3 ribbed 

 angles and 2-3 times as many smaller intermediate ribs, also transversely stri- 

 ate, longer than the 3-4 very fugacious bristles ; tubercle conical-triangular. 

 (S. trichodes, Muld., &c.) — Muddy places, and margins of brooks; common. 

 (Eu.) 



# # Achenium triangular, with. smooth and even sides. 



15. E. py§^iii{ea, Torr. Culms bristle-like, flattened and grooved (1'- 

 2' high) ; spihe ovate, 3 - 8-Jlowered ; scales ovate (greenish), the upper rather 

 acute ; achenium ovoid, acutely triangular, smooth and shining, tipped with a 

 minute tubercle ; bristles mostly longer than the fruit, sometimes wanting. (S, 

 pusillns, VaJil.? Chsetocyperus polymorphus, iVecs?) — Brackish mai-shes and 

 river-banks, as far as salt water reaches. 



16. E. inicrocai'pa, var. 1 filiculmiS, Torr. " Culms capillary or 

 thread-like, wiry, 4-angular (3'-4' high) ; spikes oblong, often proliferous, 15-25- 

 Jiowered; bristles nearly as long as the obovate-oblong (obtusely triangular) nut 

 without the tubercle; scales dark chestnut-color." — Wet places, in the pine 

 barrens of Now Jersey, Torrey. 



6. SeiRPUS, L. Btjleush. Club-Eush. 



Spikes many- several-flowered, terete, .single or mostly clustered, and sub- 

 tended by one or more involucral leaves, often appearing lateral from the exten- 

 sion of an involucral leaf like a continuation of the culm. Scales regularly 

 imbricated all round in several ranks. Perianth of 3-6 bristles. Stamens 

 mostly 3. Style 2-3-cleft, simple, not bulbous at the base, wholly deciduous, 

 or leaving a persistent jointless base as a tip or point to the lenticular or trian- 

 gular achenium. — Culms sheathed at the base ; the sheaths usually leaf-bearing. 

 Perennials, except No. 8. (The Latin name of the Bulrush.) 



§ 1. SCIJRPUS Proper. — Bristles rigid, not exserted, mostly barbed doumwards. 



* Spike single, terminal, with an empty scale or bract at its base equalling or overtop- 

 ping it, few-flowered : culms slender, jointless, leaf bearing only at the base {style 

 3-deft: achenium triangular, smooHi). 



1 . S. eaespitdsilS, L. Culms terete, wiry, densely sheathed at the base, 

 incompact tuify tufts (3' -10' high) ; the upper sheath prolonged into a sAort 

 awl-shaped leaf; spike ovoid, rusty-color ; the 2 lower scales bract-like, callous- 

 pointed, and as long as the spike ; bristles 6, smooth, longer than the abruptly 

 short-pointed achenium. — Alpine tops of the mountains of Maine, New Hamp- 

 shire, and N. New York. Also high mountains of Virginia 1 (Eu.) 



2. S. planlfoliUS, Mnhl. Cufois tWanpu/ar, loosely tufted (5'- 10' high), 

 leafy at the base ; leaves linear, flat, as long as the culm, rough on the edges and 

 keel, as is the culm ; spike ovate or oblong, rusty-color ; scales ovate, with a 

 strong green keel prolonged into an awned tip, the lowest about as long as the 

 spike; bristles 4-6, upwardly hairy, as long as the blunt achenium. — Dry or 

 moist woods, Delaware to New England June. 



